Sosa’s Homer Lifts Chicago, 9-8

Sammy Sosa hit a three-run homer with one out in the ninth inning Wednesday as the Chicago Cubs rallied twice to beat the San Diego Padres, 9-8.

It was the 10th time the Cubs have won in their last at-bat and their 14th come-from-behind victory this season.

“I don’t know why we always wait so long,” said first baseman Mark Grace, “but there’s always a lot of dramatic excitement.”

The Cubs scored four runs in the eighth to tie the score at 5-5 and then rallied from three runs down in the ninth against Trevor Hoffman (0-3) to win for the 13th time in 18 games.

With one out in the ninth, Jeff Blauser singled, Henry Rodriguez walked and Grace hit a run-scoring single. Sosa then hit his 18th homer, to left-center on a 1-and-1 pitch, to win the game.

“That’s Sammy’s thing right there,” teammate Lance Johnson said. “He’s the best I’ve ever seen at winning games like that. Sammy lives for that.”

Said Hoffman: “It was pretty much a debacle of a job from the start. I had a three-run lead and it’s something I’ve got to take care of.”

Sosa, who hit a game-winning, two-run homer in the ninth one week ago against the Florida Marlins, is picking up where he left off last June when he hit a major league record 20 home runs on his way to 66 last season.

“It’s only one or two days of this month,” Sosa said. “I don’t know how this month is going to be. I will let you know when this month is over.”

If the Cubs can keep the game close, Manager Jim Riggleman said, they have a chance.

“We can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” he said. “If we stay within a run or two, you’re only one swing away.”

It was the third blown save of the season for Hoffman, who blew only one of 54 chances in 1998.